We, and I say we because social isn’t anything without we. We tried something last night that felt like what social media is supposed to be. It was a night that recognized one of hundreds of groups that contribute content in social. The group was sports bloggers, true bloggers in that they are not part of a news media organization that also blogs. They blog because they like to write about a sport they love. The bloggers were:

Tim Allen – Canishoopus.com @canishoopus

Nathan Eide – Hockey wilderness Also SBNation Minnesota (ask him about the soon to be released mobile app for SB Nation.)

David Erickson – Minnesota Vikings Chat and @derickson

Nick Nelson - Nicks Twins Blog
and @nnelson9

These bloggers were contestants in a live sports trivia show. The audience, who filled the back room at Gabes by the Park, (a St. Paul old school sports bar) was into being there for the interaction. Some were active participants in social media and others could care less about tweeting answers or checking in on Facebook. The joy for me was seeing them together, laughing, guessing answers, learning about each other, and that Bill Bradley and Manu Ginobili are the only two NBA players to win Olympic gold, a Euroleague championship and an NBA championship.

In the midst of this was also the sponsor component. Verizon in the Great Plains region has been an active supporter of social communities for a couple of years now, some examples is there support of Social Media Breakfast, Mobile Twin Cities, and many others. Their 4G network was featured throughout the promotion of this event, we streamed the event using the Verizon MIFI and Samsung Charge, and they had their devices on display at the event. More important to me, however, was they were there.

Live Video app for Facebook by Ustream

No Hoop Jumping

Some people were here because they saw the event on a social channel, some because they were friends of someone at the event. It was not a case of social gamesmanship, you know, tweet 5 times and you get a piece of cheese. Those tactics work and there is a place for it in the large landscape of social, this was different. The implementation this event was about recognizing the effort made to create content and to engage with a community of interested people.

A measure of excitement ( i use this word instead of success because I think success is overused ) was the conversations after the game. We talked about doing it again, and how to get others involved and, and, and… This is how innovation works in a very open way. It underscored for me, the we in social. Thanks to everyone for being a part of this fun experience.

Disclosure: Verizon is a client and I appreciate all that @vzwkaren does for the social community in our region.

Time 26:39

Chris Brogan is like the James Brown of social media. Brown was called the hardest working man in show business and the same moniker can be applied to Chris Brogan in social media. Brogan and I met over $.99 margaritas in Vegas at an early Blog World conference. Fast forward several years and the social space has changed, matured to some extent, but still with many challenges for individuals and firms to monetize on a platform of abundantly free information.

There is always a rush to learn and determine whether shiny new objects are worth your time. Google Wave, Buzz, etc have not created the rush of praise and participation as Google + has in the last couple of months. Brogan has spent more than 250 hours on Google + with an eye toward how business can use it. As of this writing business brands are not welcome on Google + which prompted some criticism of Brogan’s webinar. In an era of personal brands, however, there are plenty individuals in business who can benefit from learning about the Google + platform. We get into Brogan’s big 3 reasons for business to understand the direction of Google +.

• indexing
• longer content
• greater ability to follow

Debate, Differences and Gratitude

I wanted to interview both Livingston and Brogan in light of their public differences to highlight the social nature of this medium which is important to me. Keeping a dialogue about how to monetize information, whether in the form of a book, a webinar, a community or a consultancy, is critical for the space to develop. This open disagreement is also critical for brands to see as it gives them a picture of how individuals within different schools of thought engage online in a civil discourse. This is how our economic and organizational culture will adjust to a faster, more open way to reflect nature of how individuals communicate in a public forum. It’s my belief that if corporate hierarchies and individual perceptions don’t change from their pre-social media habits of controlling information and perceptions, then social media will be more a fad, or a niche event and not a cornerstone for global development that I hope it can.

For a variety of reasons, professional and personal, I am not as prolific as many of those who read and listen to the Marketing Edge and who I interview on the program. The fact is I do personally benefit from much of the work of others, including Geoff Livingston and Chris Brogan. The all of them I say thank you.

I realize how hard original content providers work to make the social space a intellectually rich. This podcast is a labor of love and a way, limited I acknowledge, but a way, I contribute to the social space.

Sports Bloggers Trivia Night

We are recognizing four Twin Cities area sports bloggers on Wednesday, August 3, at 6PM at Gabes by the Park. Come out and see a live sports trivia show, have free appetizers, get your hands on the latest 4G devices from Verizon and maybe win some free stuff. Here’s the details. at bit.ly/sportsbloggers

Time 25:00

I scheduled this interview with Livingston to talk about his book Welcome the Fifth Estate, but issues surrounding Google+ rose to a higher level so we talk both in this podcast. And yes we do get into the online differences between Livingston and Chris Brogan, two friends of mine.

First the book and the idea of making your corporate culture receptive to being open. This is the issue of restructuring organizations to be nimble enough in a fast paced, socially engaged environment. This involves two issues:

1) Can you speak about the issues surrounding your organization without having your organization be the focus of that conversation? This paradigm is critical to your organization’s future credibility and the ability to build a community that will expend energy on your behalf. 
 Think like you were an embeded journalist in your company.

2) The social web has no geography or silos, can your organization and its processes accommodate this very different structure?

Google + Observations

• Use it as a person, nothing like getting in the pool and judging for your self whether the water is cold or not.
• Hangouts are very useful, even for a quick video group call with Grandma. And yes just because your brand can’t use it, 10 people can collaborate from your global offices.
• Circles can serve as a Yammer-like platform, remember Yammer?
• +1 can serve as a voting function for more than my comedy posts, for example your ad campaign slogans, designs, food at the office party.
• Bottom line, use it as an individual building your network and seeing through your own work processes how it can benefit

Google + Dust Up

This story is moving fast, suffice it to say here. Google + for business is a lot like the history of the Oklahoma land grab. Just as I post this here is an update on Google booting brands off + and NBC News left Google + but are keeping their reporters on.



As soon as the invites were flowing, businesses opened pages claiming we know Google +. Some by being insiders like Mashable, others by spending hundreds of hours in the + playground. All this despite Google not having an official business policy other than “no brands allowed,” yet.

It’s getting ugly because social is a maturing business. Plenty of individuals in this space are businesses, me included. I am for hire and I am on Google+ and I do know more about it than someone who has not been on Google+. The rub is that brands are being told they can’t play on Google+ (as of this writing) , but in an era of personal brands, how is that possible to not be on. For example, in the social web, Scott Monty is Ford, Jeremiah Owyang is Altimeter Group, etc. etc.

This is a confusing and rapidly changing issue, with some major camps of difference. Livingston and Brogan, two guys I admire greatly for what they have given to the community and me, have sparred over how to monetize their expertise. Brogan this week produced a webinar for how business should prepare to use Google+. Another friend of mine, Jen Kane once called me Switzerland because I get along with folks so I feel uniquely qualified to be in the middle of this Kerfluffel

Here’s my take, this is the result of the “free” economy of information which resides in a mostly socialist state with individuals contributing to a larger community each benefiting each other, while the same individuals responsible for the information reside in a capitalist financial state who some how must monetize a portion of that same information.

It comes down to how you package what may well be available for free, how you add value to that information through analysis or experience, and whether the market is willing to pay for that package. An example in free and paid information of the same topic is software training programs. I get a tutorial and support forums where users offer their experience freely with most software I purchase. However, there are also companies that package “how to use it” information in such a compelling way that some people are willing to pay for it because it saves them time or allows them to understand the software better.

While packaging is the means many in social media are adding value and making a living, the underlying issue remains that the foundation of social media involves individual contributions to the larger group. The irony or the beauty is the community raises the level of “influence” of individuals by their own accord (gaming tactics aside) and the market is willing to pay for it. Perhaps through social media we are seeing capitalism in a more raw form over the last couple of years, and like sausage, sometimes it ain’t pretty – but damn tasty.

Time 28:34

So many mixed messages these days. First its declining active users vs awareness on Twitter – according the the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Second, Inside Facebook reports Facebook lost 6 million users in the United States base of users. But not a day later, consumer products manufacturing giant Procter and Gamble announced it was opening several product Facebook Commerce pages for Tide, Gillette, Olay, Gain, CoverGirl, Luvs and Febreze. So there seems to be mixed messages about whether social media is growing or leveling off.

In this Marketing Edge Podcast with Garrick Van Buren, we talk about the characteristics that attracted the early growth of social media, and the attributes it has developed over time that may be responsible for the current pause in growth. Garrick is a web application developer and person who is an astute early adapter with an understanding of consumer interface fundamentals. He gives to the community but does like to fly under the radar which is one of the reasons he stopped using Twitter several months ago.

Key elements of the social trend curve

• Early access to new information and people (enlightened conversations)
• Efficient communication paths (quick messaging with clear intent)
• low noise to clear signal ratio (no or little advertising )

As social grew

• abundance of new information and people (quality high, but potentially overwhelming amount of relationships)
• cluttered communications paths (advertisers and company participation)
• noise increases and signal distortion grows (public and private agendas muddy the message)

The conversation highlights potential pitfalls marketers can avoid as they attempt to be valuable to social consumers and responsive to their internal business clients.

1. 1) Be aware of consumer apathy
2. 2) Frequency of ask can lead to fatigue
3. 3) Divide social consumers in to smaller groups with greater interest and topics to keep enthusiasm

Marketing Edge Survey

Looking for your input on topics and other potential channels bit.ly/marketingedge

Time 13:09

Big Packge PR Problem

Delta Airlines got itself into trouble with a baggage policy for active military personnel that for nearly a decade had seemed to be working well. Active military traveling to and from war zones using Delta Airlines is not a new thing. A YouTube video of military personnel returning from Afghanistan tells their story of being charged $2800 for extra bags. The issue here is about large packages, some heavy with weapons which may also be an issue on connecting flights with weight limitations.

One can make the case that the government should pick up the cost of those bags and not the individuals, but that is another issue for another time.

I accept these types of situations as unavoidable. Large companies need policies in place and no amount of training at the customer interface level is going to completely eliminate a potential misunderstanding, misinterpretation of the policies, an outdated policy, or individual having a bad day. What is avoidable is the exacerbation of the problem by a corporate reaction that is viewed as insensitive.

Delta Airlines Reaction

“ Thank you to everyone who has participated in the recent conversations on baggage allowances for active duty U.S. military personnel. We appreciate all of your thoughts and insight, and want to share an update on the soldiers involved as well as changes to our official policies.

First and foremost, we want you to know we’re continuing to work with the soldiers individually to make this situation right for each of them. We regret that this experience caused these soldiers to feel anything but welcome on their return home. We honor their service and are grateful for the sacrifices of our military service members and their families.”

These two paragraphs from the Delta blog in reaction to the YouTube video just sounds like corporate speak. This is the inherent conflict between the legal silo of corporate America and the social environment of consumer conversation.

First let’s change the language. Try something like “We messed up. Or, “The policy that was in place for nearly 10 years no longer works. We are sorry to the service personnel and are reimbursing them in full with round trip airfare for their family to anywhere in the world. We also have changed the baggage policy for military personnel on military orders and put out an immediate notification to all of our baggage employees at check in counters.”

Little Package PR Problem

Which brings us to Congressman Weiner. This issue is just loaded with public relations horror however there is hope for Mr. Weiner. Ironically the wise PR counsel in this situation is the same that can apply to Delta.

1. 1) come clean quickly
2. 2) acknowledge those violated and, to the extent possible, address in word and/or deed making them whole,
3. 3) extinguish the issue from public conversation by either removing yourself from the situation or highlighting subsequent changes.

In the case of Congressman Weiner he needs to leave office and get out of the spotlight. There is nothing good that can result from Weiner’s presence on any camera at this point in time. The additional issue that Weiner has going against him is permanently fixed image associated with this story. The best PR advice for Weiner is to exit stage right, get cleaned up and remerge as a “changed man.” Remember Governor Eliot Spitzer who resigned two days after the New York Times broke the story that he had patronized the services of a prostitute for years even when he was Attorney General of New York. Today Spitzer is an anchor on In the Arena a political talk show on CNN – America is a great country no?

The public relations moral of these two stories? There is no issue too big or too small that a little honesty and humility can’t solve.

Time 26:14

Patrick Strother, A long time, thoughtful practitioner of strategic communications and public relations is the guest on this episode of the Marketing Edge Podcast. He is the Chief Creative Officer and founder of Strother Communications Group and a visiting faculty professor of PR and strategic communications planning at the University of Minnesota.

The inspiration for this conversation was an article written by New York Times executive editor Bill Keller, The Twitter Trap. In this article, Keller (@nytkeller) laments giving his 13 year old daughter permission to be on Facebook, and I as a father of three teens, can empathize with Keller.

The journalist also highlights his concerns about how Twitter, et al. social is impacting out ability to give serious thought to issues, demand our attention, and perhaps even erode a bit of our humanity by undermining “complexity, acuity, patience, wisdom, and intimacy.”

Strother (on twitter @patrickstrother )and I talk about Twitter’s impact on parenting and the decisions that social media participation forces on adolescents. I thought this particularly appropriate given that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to explore the possibility of children younger than 13 joining social networks safely. This agenda advanced at a summit of internet and public policy leaders called the eG8 last week.

Strother and I take the conversation to uses of Twitter in building relationships with journalists. In his eyes, Twitter is not a pitching tool, but an effective research and relationship tool. Agreed. I also enjoy using Muck Rack to discover the journalists using Twitter. I read Poynter.org to stay close to the heart and soul of being a journalist in changing times. It pursues the agenda of independent journalism’s importance to democracy.

We discuss some of the skills necessary for companies to effectively participate on the social web, a place shared by journalists and company thought leaders. A place that can reward discourse.

The Social PR Paradigm in corporate communications operation should include:

• 1) Editorial planning as if you were a news organization for social spaces that feature your company’s expertise. I’ve talked about this for a while as the idea of an embeded corporate journalist
• 2) Read, engage, and comment on journalists blogs and twitter profiles that cover your industry
• 3) Gain a greater understanding of writing with a news , as contrasted with say marketing collateral.

On this last point, Strother makes a strong case in the podcast and is working to incorporate this concept for his students.

Time 27:51

Nellymoser is an interactive agency focused on the mobile experience and doing creative work with QR Codes and other digital tagging. The Marketing Edge Podcast spoke with Roger Matus, Executive Vice President of Nellymoser, a firm that created successful interactive campaigns for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, and a thought leadership campaign for Timberland boots, among many other QR Code uses.

Matus and I discuss some of the ways corporate marketers approach integrating QR Codes into their marketing strategy. While QR Codes seem to be the latest in mobile marketing technology, Roger’s down to earth thinking ties technology applications back to fundamental marketing strategy. His thoughtful conversation is insightful for marketers drained by chasing shiny new objects. He wraps QR Codes into familiar techniques of Marketing 101 and concise “call to action” campaigns.

Matus does believe that QR Codes are not simple. Our conversation covers many of the multidimensional steps required in a successful mobile marketing campaign, but his approach allows marketers wrap it in familiar terms. This refreshing conversation puts technology in the context of consumer behavior objectives, a place from which marketers should rarely stray.

5 Ways to Implement QR Codes

• Start from blank page – one of the worst things to do as a company is to engage in bandwagon thinking. So don’t have a knee-jerk reaction to slapping a QR Code on a print ad that takes you to a webpage. That’s not mobile nor innovative. QR Codes and Microsoft tags can be created in such a way to deliver a much more involved experience such as creating offers depending on the time or date scanned. 

• Location, Location, Location – where the QR Code will be scanned matters. This requires understanding even plotting out a process flow at the physical sites where the QR Codes will be placed. Is it a noisy intersection? (so audio will be hard to hear). Is it a high traffic location with a premium on keeping things moving, e.g.. transfer point for mass transit with lots of people, but little time. (that’s a site selection study if ever I wanted to create one ) 

• Call to Action – at its base form a QR Code is a call to action in pure marketing terms, so don’t let technology throw you off your game. There is a consumer behavior outcome desired by the company, approach the QR Code planning from that perspective. NOTE: Roger’s comments about the 21st century is brilliant at around the 14:00 mark. He describes giving people a reason which usually is a financial value or informational value. Matus talks about using video for education, a contest to capture contact information, or an offer that changes to keep people coming back or accepting a pushed message. 

• Ain’t that Rich – whether video or audio or a mobile application, QR Codes is a place where you should be thinking bold content. I believe using the QR Code raises the expectation that something is worth the following steps A) take out your phone, B) open your QR Code reader or camera C) snap the image – ooohhh boy now what!? Matus wonderfully points out that it’s an important consideration to help set the expectation on the place that the QR Code is first seen. 

• Calling all printers and publishers – QR Codes can be a savior by making print come to life, literally. This integration can deliver the type of analytics that may be a magazine advertising reps best friend. Matching the most powerful of a variety of formats and medium can be highly effective to sell or capture a greater percentage of mind space of your intended audience member.